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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23250745">The Gem Cannot Be Polished Without Friction</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maeglin_Yedi/pseuds/Maeglin_Yedi'>Maeglin_Yedi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Darkening of Your Soul [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Harry Potter Has a Saving People Thing, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 16:07:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,197</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23250745</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maeglin_Yedi/pseuds/Maeglin_Yedi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry has a saving people thing. It props up during the weirdest times. Like during a pandemic.</p><p>Set in the Darkening of Your Soul universe. Read that first or this will make little sense.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Potter/Tom Riddle, Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Darkening of Your Soul [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1671721</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>160</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3012</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Gem Cannot Be Polished Without Friction</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I’ve been sick for two weeks now, and yes, it’s entirely possible I’ve got Covid-19 since I live right in the epicentre of the outbreak here in the Netherlands and we’ve got communal spread like crazy. I’ve been self-isolating just to make certain I don’t accidentally infect anyone (my mother is 76 and not in perfect health). Thankfully my symptoms have been very mild; headache, aching throat, painful chest and lungs, and very, very tired. The last thing especially has kept me from writing but I seem to be on the mend and this idea came to me and insisted on being turned into a story.</p><p>It’s set some undetermined time in the future of The Darkening of Your Soul universe and everything you need to know about the future will hopefully be made clear in the story. I may write more of these future fics and post them here, but my focus will be on the main story.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.<br/>
Chinese Proverb</p><p> </p><p>Harry looked around him as he lay in their bed, blankets pulled up to his chin, and he sighed. It seemed that Tom had mobilized everyone they knew that had even just a bit of medical knowledge the moment Harry started coughing and developed a mild fever.</p><p>“What part of there is a fucking Muggle pandemic happening did you not understand, Harry?” Tom demanded as he stood beside the bed with his arms crossed, glaring down at Harry with all his might but unable to hide the worry that reflected in his eyes. </p><p>“What part of quarantining infectious patients did <i>you</i> not understand?” Severus muttered as he waved his wand over Harry’s body. Beside him, Theo, nowadays working as the Healer-in-Charge of the Dai Llewellyn ward at St Mungo’s was doing the same while quietly giving Tom the stink-eye and mumbling that if he’d known he’d be dealing with an infectious disease he’d have cast a bubble-head charm but that it was too late now.</p><p>“To be fair,” Harry whispered, holding back the urge to cough with all his might. “The Muggles hadn’t declared it a pandemic yet when Barty and I went to that bookstore.”</p><p>Barty, seated in a chair in the corner of the bedroom, looked around the room with wide eyes and the contrite air of a child caught red-handed with adult reading material for which he’d never really be sorry for having obtained it. </p><p>Tom practically growled. “You know better than that. You’ve been nagging me for weeks now about this Muggle disease.”</p><p>“Not a Muggle disease,” Harry managed to say before succumbing to a coughing fit. Theo opened his leather potions bag, got out a vial and pressed it to Harry’s lips. Harry swallowed as best he could, coughing up some of the potion, but whatever did go down his throat was enough to break his coughing fit and soothe his burning throat. “I got it, and I’m not a Muggle.”</p><p>“Hm.” Tom crossed his arms a little tighter and pressed his lips together. He looked downright petulant at having been proven wrong, but Harry had suspected that this new virus going around in the Muggle world would infect wizards and witches just as easily. Tom had disagreed, proclaiming their kind naturally protected because of their magic. </p><p>Turned out, Harry was right, and he had the burning lungs and fever to prove it.</p><p>“There’s nothing we can do about the virus without a vaccine,” Theo said as he tucked his wand away. “But we can treat the symptoms easily enough with potions. Fever, coughing, pneumonia, we’ve got potions for all of that. Harry will be fine in a few days.”</p><p>“Good,” Tom said, his shoulders loosening just a smidge. His expression lost some of its harshness and he even managed to give Harry a small smile. “That’s very good.”</p><p>Narcissa Malfoy had apprenticed as a mediwitch a long time ago, before she had Draco, but Tom had apparently remembered that and summoned her as well. She had let Theo as an actual Healer do his job and stayed in the background. “The muggleborns visit the muggle world and their muggle families frequently,” she said quietly from her seat beside Barty. “Unless we forbid they do so, they will bring this virus into our world.”</p><p>“It’s already here,” Theo said as he sorted through his potions bag and pulled out a few vials which he placed on Harry’s nightstand. Severus kept a very close eye on him, probably taking stock of what he needed to brew to be sold in the apothecary he was part-owner of. “We’ve seen an increase of similar cases this past week in the hospital. Shortness of breath, severe coughing, pneumonia.”</p><p>“It’s a highly contagious virus,” Harry offered. He’d been keeping a close eye on the Muggle media. He always did so, but especially since the first reports of this new disease had popped up. “People spread it just by standing close together and coughing and stuff.”</p><p>“Here, some Pepper-up will help with the fever and the congestion,” Theo said while he held another vial against Harry’s lips. Harry swallowed dutifully and squeezed his eyes shut as steam burst from his ears. He did feel better, though, once the steam let up.</p><p>“I will talk to Justin,” Tom said with a short nod. Justin was the Head of the Department of Muggle Affairs. “Come up with a realistic plan to keep the spread of the virus to a minimum.”</p><p>“You’re under quarantine,” Theo said fearlessly as he stared at Tom with his best Healer glare. Theo was usually happy enough to stay out of any conflicts around him, but when it came to his chosen profession he took matters very seriously. “Everyone in this room is now under quarantine for at least two weeks.”</p><p>“Fine,” Tom said impatiently. “Can I speak with him through the floo at least?”</p><p>Theo considered this for a moment. “Cast a bubble-head charm and don’t touch him.”</p><p>“Granger has been going around telling anyone who would listen that we should help the Muggles with this pandemic. Give them potions to heal them,” Barty said while rolling his eyes. As the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic Barty regularly had to deal with Hermione, who held a minor position in the department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures but often acted as though all should listen to her, especially the Minister for Magic himself. </p><p>“For fuck’s sake,” Theo snapped as he shut his bag with more force than necessary. “All these potions use ingredients from rare magical plants and animals. There aren’t enough of those to heal seven billion people. We might not even have enough for our own population if this spreads as fast as I fear it might and everyone shows up in the hospital at once.”</p><p>“I’ll speak to Longbottom and some of my other suppliers,” Severus offered and Theo gave him a grateful nod.</p><p>Tom paced to the foot of the bed and turned around to pace back. “So we need to contain the spread so our Healers don’t get overwhelmed and our potions stocks don’t get depleted.”</p><p>“Yes,” both Theo and Severus said.</p><p>“Close it down,” Harry said in a raspy voice. </p><p>“Close what down?” Narcissa asked with a puzzled yet pleasant smile. </p><p>“Everything,” Harry said with a pointed look at Tom.</p><p>Sighing, Tom ran a hand down his face. “The economy – “</p><p>“Fuck the economy,” Harry said with a harsh glare. “We’re talking human lives here, Tom. Close. It. Down.”</p><p>Narcissa cleared her throat softly, as though unsure if she should interrupt what looked like a well-rehearsed argument between two spouses. “I understand your point of view, Harry dear, but lots of witches and wizards aren’t going to take a Muggle disease seriously, especially not one that causes some coughing and a fever that can easily be cured by a few fifth-year potions. Closing our society down will do nothing good for the Minister’s re-election next year.”</p><p>“They’ll take it seriously when the Minister for Magic is exposed and in quarantine and his husband is diagnosed with it and has to recover for a few days,” Harry pointed out logically. Tom narrowed his eyes while tilting his head as he assessed Harry’s statement. “I’ll give an interview to Tracey at the Prophet.”</p><p>“Quarantine,” Theo reminded him at once. </p><p>“Through the floo with a bubble-head charm,” Harry added dutifully with an amused smile. “And Pansy at Witch Weekly can run a few pieces on the effect this pandemic is having on muggleborns and on magicals who are married to muggles and such.”</p><p>“That would certainly help to convince the wizarding public,” Narcissa conceded with a regal nod.</p><p>The door burst open and the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports burst inside the room. “Harry, did you hear? England qualified for the World Cup. I just got back from Peru.”</p><p>“Draco,” Narcissa scolded gently. “I’ve raised you better than to burst into someone’s bedroom without knocking.”</p><p>Draco looked around the room with his mouth hanging open, only now realizing there were quite a few people there. “Apologies, Mother. Sorry, Harry.”</p><p>Harry generously waved Draco’s apologies away. “It’s fine,” he rasped.</p><p>“Kreacher said you were feeling under the weather,” Draco said, spotting the assortment of potions on the bedside table and now looking slightly worried for Harry.</p><p>“He’s infected with the virus that’s going around the muggle world,” Theo said, leaning a shoulder against a bedpost while he shook his head at Draco. “It’s highly infectious so we’ll all have to go into quarantine for two weeks. That means you, too, Draco.”</p><p>“What?” Draco looked positively alarmed by this news. “But the Falmouth Falcons are playing tomorrow against Puddlemere United and they have to win or they’re out of the running for the cup this season.”</p><p>“No, they’re not,” Tom said with the biggest smirk Harry had seen on him in a while. “Sweet Merlin, I’ve always wanted to say this. Quidditch is cancelled.”</p><p>“WHAT?” Draco yelped, quickly followed by a scolding from Narcissa about using inside voices, especially when one was a guest in someone’s home.</p><p>“All of it. All the Quidditch.” Tom threw his head back and cackled. “It’s all cancelled.”</p><p>“What is happening?” Draco buried his fingers in his hair and pulled on it out of sheer distress.</p><p>“No need to be such a wanker about it,” Harry said with a glare at his husband and promptly had another coughing fit. Severus, who stood closest to the bedside table, grabbed a vial and tipped the potion into Harry’s mouth. A few quivering breaths later and Harry had his breathing back under control. </p><p>Tom, after waiting to make sure Harry was all right, ignored Harry’s comment and turned to Draco. “We’re cancelling all events where people gather in large numbers to contain the spread of this virus. You’ll have to prepare a statement concerning the cancellation of Quidditch for at least a month.”</p><p>“I thought it was just a new flu?” Draco asked, looking at Theo.</p><p>“No, it’s more than that,” Theo explained quietly. “We can heal the symptoms with potions easily enough, but if everyone gets sick at once even St Mungo’s will get overwhelmed and people may die who needn’t.”</p><p>“Ah.” Draco nodded gravely. “I’ll write a statement for the press and have it on your desk before morning, Minister.”</p><p>“Acceptable,” Tom said and turned towards Barty. “I need you to alert all the departments that I will only be available through floo or owl for the next fortnight. I’ll write something up for the press myself.”</p><p>In response, Barty sneezed. He looked entirely surprised by this as he quickly conjured a handkerchief to wipe across his nose. </p><p>“Are you having symptoms?” Severus asked as he stepped up to Barty.</p><p>“Just a sore throat, itchy nose, nothing bad,” Barty muttered as he tucked the handkerchief in his pocket. </p><p>Severus sighed while pulling Barty up from his chair by his arm. “I have the potions you need at home. Let’s go.” And without further ceremony, Severus led Barty from the room.</p><p>“Yes, I do believe Draco and I shall retire to our hunting cabin in Ireland for the next two weeks,” Narcissa said as she stood and brushed off her robes with a dainty hand. “This way, Lucius remains clear of the virus and can keep working at the Ministry.”</p><p>“Yes, I’ll need him to attend some meetings in my stead,” Tom agreed as he opened the bedroom door for Narcissa. “I do apologize for exposing you to this mess. I’m afraid I was worried for Harry’s health and not thinking clearly.”</p><p>Narcissa gave Tom an amused little smile, used to Tom’s dramatic responses when it came to Harry. She patted his arm. “It’s quite all right, dear. Draco, come along.”</p><p>“I had plans this weekend,” Draco muttered as he followed his mother out of the room.</p><p>“Well, hopefully this will teach you not to enter people’s bedroom’s without express invitation,” Narcissa said as she disappeared around the corner. </p><p>“You should have enough potions to see you through the night, and I’ll stop by again tomorrow morning. I’ll be at home if you need me, writing a treatment plan for my staff on how to deal with this new virus since someone completely broke protocol when it comes to infectious diseases and now I cannot work where I’m needed most.” Theo gave Tom a dirty look, which Tom pretended not to notice, and gathered his cloak and bag and swept out of the room.</p><p>“Thanks, Theo. Bye,” Harry called out after his friend, but Theo was already gone.</p><p>Tom slowly turned towards Harry. “You, my dear, are a sneaky Slytherin piece of shit.”</p><p>Ah. Busted. Harry grinned at his husband, but Tom seemed far from amused. “I had to,” Harry said while Tom stared at him with a stoic expression. “No one was taking this disease seriously, including you.”</p><p>Tom sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed beside Harry. “Still, purposefully getting yourself infected during a pandemic seems a bit much, Harry, even for you.”</p><p>Harry shrugged. “I knew I could be treated with potions. But the real danger lies in the infection rate. If everyone gets sick at once, who will brew the potions or gather the ingredients needed?”</p><p>“No need to explain. I understand,” Tom said, placing his hand on Harry’s thigh and rubbing gently. </p><p>“Do you?” Harry gave Tom a sceptical look. “Because I’ve been bringing this up for weeks now and you’ve dismissed my concerns every single time.”</p><p>“So you decided to get infected to get my attention?” Tom asked, arching an eyebrow as he looked down at Harry in slight disbelief. </p><p>“Not just your attention. I realized we needed someone in the spotlight to get sick if we wanted to get our society to take this pandemic seriously.”</p><p>“And you decided to sacrifice yourself.” Tom shook his head in exasperation. “Deep down, my dear, you’ll always be a Gryffindor, no matter how sneaky you appear these days.”</p><p>“Well, I’ve got a saving people thing,” Harry said with a slight pout. “I’m working on it but sometimes it still props up. I can’t help it.”</p><p>Tom snorted and slid his hand up Harry’s thigh towards Harry’s hand to lace their fingers together. “I want to add this to my veto list. From now on you’re not allowed to purposefully infect yourself with diseases.”</p><p>Harry blinked. Their veto lists were something they’d come up with early on in their relationship to keep the other from doing things that freaked them out. For example, Tom was not allowed to go spelunking. Harry hated caves with a passion and the idea of spelunking scared the shit out of him. Hence Tom was not allowed to do it. In return, Harry was not allowed to skydive the muggle way, because Tom mistrusted muggle technology and found the concept of parachutes ludicrously dangerous, so Harry wasn’t allowed to try it. Not that Harry minded that, he much preferred flying on a broomstick than dropping from the sky hanging from a piece of cloth. But that was the beauty of the veto lists. Anything could go on there, no matter how irrational or illogical. Tom probably had about as much interest in spelunking as Harry had in skydiving.  </p><p>Now Harry had known for a long time Tom was a minor germ phobic, but he hadn’t realized it was such a huge problem. “I never took you for one to freak out over a muggle disease like this.”</p><p>Tom briefly lowered his head and then looked Harry in the eye. “They never mentioned it out loud in the orphanage. People liked to pretend it hadn’t happened. But every winter, when flu season hit, there were whispers. Is this going to be as bad as the great flu pandemic? Is this going to kill as many people as the flu did back in 1918?”</p><p>Harry sobered up at once, his slight amusement at Tom’s response replaced with sympathy. “I keep forgetting you’re an old man,” Harry whispered as he squeezed Tom’s hand. “You were born not that long after the Spanish flu pandemic.”</p><p>“Yes. And even without that kind of pandemic we lost children to the flu and other illnesses every year. The measles in particular was infectious like nothing else and killed children in the orphanage, especially malnourished ones and we were all slightly malnourished. I was one of the lucky ones who had it and lived through it without any permanent consequences. Another child at the orphanage who was my age ended up deaf after having the measles.”</p><p>Well, that explained Tom’s aversion to germs and diseases. “I’m sorry,” Harry said, truly feeling sorry for upsetting his husband. “I didn’t mean to freak you out. I just wanted to open people’s eyes.”</p><p>“Including mine,” Tom said with a small smile. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to your concerns, my dear.”</p><p>“Guess we’re even,” Harry said with a grin. </p><p>“I guess we are,” Tom replied and leaned forward to press a kiss to Harry’s temple. “You don’t feel as warm anymore. The potions seem to be helping.”</p><p>Kreacher popped in holding a tray with a tea glass on it. “Little master is being sick so little master is drinking camomile with honey for his throat.”</p><p>“Thanks, Kreacher,” Harry said as he accepted the glass of tea and took a sip. </p><p>“Kreacher is listening to little Master’s warnings and Kreacher is buying food and supplies,” Kreacher said proudly. “Little Master is not having to worry about food and toiletries for many months to come.” And with that Kreacher popped out again.</p><p>“Harry, did you get your house-elf to start panic-buying groceries?” Tom asked with a fond look. </p><p>“By accident!” Harry said with wide eyes. “I may have ranted at him a bit when you weren’t listening to me.”</p><p>Tom shook his head and got up from the bed. “Get some rest, soulmate. I have a country to run, from quarantine no less.”</p><p>“Rest? I had planned to catch up on my paperwork,” Harry said with a satisfied smile. He loved it when a plan came together. Get infected, get husband and country to listen, catch up on paperwork. </p><p>“Kreacher,” Tom called while giving Harry a smug look. “Your master wants to work while he should  be resting.”</p><p>Kreacher popped back into the bedroom and gave Harry a furious look while wagging a finger at him. “Little Master is being sick and little Master is resting and Kreacher is hiding little Master’s paperwork until he is being better.” And before Harry could protest he was gone again. </p><p>“Aw,” Harry said and gave Tom a pleading look.</p><p>“Get better soon, my dear,” Tom, that absolute tosspot, said with a sweet little smile as he swept from the room. </p><p>Harry finished his tea and stretched out against the mattress, pulling the blankets a little higher. “Well played,” he muttered as he closed his eyes. Now who was being a sneaky Slytherin piece of shit?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Don't be like Harry! #staythefuckhome #flattenthecurve</p><p>Stay strong, everyone! We'll get through this, together!</p><p>Thanks for reading! Come join me on Tumblr:<br/><a href="https://maeglinyedi.tumblr.com">maeglinyedi</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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